00:00 Norton's Digbeth as a pub, we took it on in 2019, took the building on in October and
00:08 we refurbished it and turned it into a pub by December 2019.
00:12 Before we took it on it was Norton's Hydraulics which is where the name comes from and before
00:16 then it was Ash and Lacey Metalworks.
00:17 There's a big crest there on the roof that says Ash and Lacey and so as we've sort of
00:23 built the bar within this old factory we've kept a nod to the Norton's brand and the Ash
00:28 and Lacey Metalworks.
00:30 Family, friends and the local community came together to convert this former industrial
00:34 premises into one of Birmingham's most eclectic and important live music venues.
00:40 What was a factory and offices now encompasses a traditional Irish front bar together with
00:45 a secret snug bar.
00:47 Behind that a 500 capacity live music venue and a massive beer garden adorned with stunning
00:54 giant mural artworks.
00:56 I think what people love here is the community element of it, that you always know people
00:59 that are going to be in, the live music and the culture of the place and it's a nice safe
01:06 sort of family friendly vibe in here the whole time.
01:09 Norton's contribution to the Birmingham Irish community has been recognised with £28,000
01:15 worth of Arts Council funding.
01:17 It will be used to invest in grassroots artists and organisations at this 500 capacity venue
01:23 and also increase the support and booking of female artists.
01:28 They provided a grant to the pub to celebrate music and arts and all things Irish and the
01:39 money can then be put forward to organising better gigs, greater gigs, greater events.
01:44 You know especially in Birmingham there's not many places to celebrate Irish culture
01:48 as to music that we've been practising and playing our entire lives.
01:51 Oh it's electric, absolutely electric, there's no greater feeling than standing on that stage
01:56 playing the songs that everyone loves and everyone listens to.
01:59 It's the greatest feeling in the world and I wouldn't change a second of it.
02:02 The Irish community has played a massive part in the development and success of Birmingham,
02:07 a fact that rightly deserves celebration and the venue plays a pivotal role in the city's
02:12 St Patrick's Festival.
02:14 This pub is a massive part of the St Patrick's Day celebrations.
02:17 It's become a focal point for people who have come to watch the parade, families, children,
02:23 people of any ages will watch the parade and they'll come here after, enjoy great live
02:28 Irish music, have a fantastic community feel around them.
02:32 The pub is incredibly important to the Irish community in Birmingham as well as surrounding
02:36 communities.
02:37 It's a place they can come, meet each other, see their families, watch Irish live music.
02:42 Just a place to generally get together, see everybody you know, you meet people from school
02:45 that you haven't seen in years, it's just an incredibly important part of Irish culture.
02:50 It's such an important, a really important part of Irish culture is being very family
02:54 orientated and having a lot of friends and things like that so this is a really great
02:59 place to come just to be able to do those things and a general meeting place, it's great.
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